I went skating today and had an amazing life epiphany that can apply to everything, including art. I was ollying curbs and I realized that the outcome of the olly depends on mymindset before I even attempt the trick. A big part of skateboarding is fear and if you don't have your mind 100% resolute before you attempt the trick, then you will bail. The same is true of all art, you must know exactly what you are going to do before you even begin an art piece. This doesn't mean that you won't fail, but it will allow you to have more power over the outcome. Of course, skateboarding has real dangers, but failing in art has no lasting effects whatsoever. You must make bad art and you must fall in skateboarding to learn. Skating is such an amazing activity and I'm constantly learning new things everyday. Can't wait for Spring to start riding my motorcycle again also.

I love everything about skateboarding. The thrill of jumping over things feels like flying. I've learned so many lessons about committment and conquering fear all from skating. It's a great counterbalance to the quiet artistic side of my life.

My semester at BCC is all done and I want to thank all my students for being amazing and giving such amazing feedback on my evaluations. My Winter break has offically started. I had some good weather to skate today and I popped my final olly on this deck. I really love skateboarding and I use my boards until the bitter end. I do the same thing with my shoes, my diaries and my sketchbooks. I think it's important to use up and get the most out of whatever you love. If you love drawing, then fill your sketchbooks. You're not going to get any better by letting it sit around. The same is true of skateboarding. Ride your board till it breaks. There's also a certain beauty and life that is built up when you use items for a long time. It's the same when I look at a well read book. You can't fake that certain natural wear. Merry Christmas to everyone, see you all next year.